Busting Beef Myths

Myth: Beef from 100 cows is in my ground-beef patty, which makes it less safe for me to consume.

FACTS TO SHARE: All ground beef trim must meet stringent food-safety guidelines set by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, so the number of cows whose lean trim is used does not represent the safety of your food. Ground beef, commonly used in hamburgers and tacos, is made from beef trim that results when steaks and roasts are cut. In order to get the right mix of lean-to-fat, processors combine trim from a number of different animals. Trim from these animals combines to create ground beef in a variety of lean-to-fat ratios to meet consumer demand. The bottom line? USDA food safety procedures that our entire food supply undergoes, including ground beef, help prevent any harm to consumers, so you can be confident in the safety of your ground beef.

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The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

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